Air-current governor.



N0- 830,459. PATENTED SEPT. 4, 1906.

S. P. SMITH.

AIR CURRENT GOVERNOR.

APPLmATION FILED JULY5,1904- ITIJD STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

SOLOMON P. SMITH, OF WA ERFORD,

NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO FUEL SAVING COMPANY, OF UTIOA, NEW YORK, ACORPORATION OF NEW YORK AIR-CURRENT GOVERNOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1906.

Application filed July 5, 1904, Serial No. 215,387.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SOLOMON P. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Waterford, in the county of Saratoga and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Air-Current Governors, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention relates to securing an approximately constant flow of airin the conduits of heating and ventilating apparatus whatever theair-pressure or the velocity of the air-current approaching theregulatingpoint. The desired result is accomplished by means of apivoted or hinged valve carefully balanced and adapted to oscillate witha varying current diminishing the capacity of the passage automaticallyin such manner that the unobstructed portion of the passage variesnearly inversely with the velocity, and thus the flowis keptapproximately constant. To secure the result just mentioned, the valveis made capable of entirely or nearly closing the passage and isnormally in such position that the passage is but slightly obstructed.As the valve swings from normal toward passageclosing position itsmovement is opposed by a gradually-increasing resistance, which when thecurrents force diminishes automatically returns the valve toward normalposition.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an air-conduit with theside nearest the observer removed. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2,Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a detail view looking in the direction of thearrow a of In the figures, A represents an ordinary airconduit ofrectangular cross-section, such as often supplies to domestic furnacesair to be heated, and B represents a valve pivotally mounted therein toswing upon an axis 0 at some distance below the upper wall of theconduit. The valve is formed from a preferably plane sheet by bendingthe lateral edges of the same upward, as shown at D, and bending thebody of the sheet nearly at right angles near the pivotal axis, wherebyits rear end E extends downward and occupies nearly the same verticalspace as the longer and more nearly horizontal forward end portion. Uponthis rear end is secured a weight F,

ward part of the whose distance from the axis may be adjustably fixed bymeans of screws or the like.

Normally a light current of air is divided, part passing below thebalanced valve and a less portion passing above it. The current being inthe direction of the arrow 6, Fig. 1, exerts pressure only on the upperside of the forward portion of the valve, and so soon as the currentovercomes the slight friction of the parts and the slight resistance ofthe weight the valve rocks downward, lessening the area of the passagebelow the axis. The greater the pressure the greater the motion of thevalve and the less the part of the passage left free. A very violentcurrent might practically close the passage momentarily, the forvalveswinging slightly beyond a vertical line through the axis and the rearportion moving upward into contact with the upper wall of the conduit.Air entering with undue velocity swings the front portion of the valvedownward, reducing the area of the passage below the valve, but Withoutat first raising the rear portion above the horizontal plane of theaxis, or, in other words, without reducing the area of the passage abovethe valve; but as the air striking the valve is itself deflected upwardacross the upper channel the velocity of the air through the latter ismaterially decreased by the cross-current. A much greater air-pressurefurther closes the lower channel and partially obstructs the upper one,and finally such velocity as would cause a greatly-increased dein spiteof the regulating actionjust described may momentarily close or very.

livery of air nearly close both channels. The working of this apparatusis thus quite different from that wherein a valve is pivoted at theupper side of the conduit and provided with a counterweight, so as tohave a somewhat similar oscillating movement. It may also be noted thatthis apparatus, rarely closing, is usually noiseless. Whatever thestrength of the current, as soon as it falls so far as to permit theweight instantly moves the valve again toward normal position. It is tobe observed that normally the weight is nearly below the axis, andhence, little force being needed to swing it pendulu m-like, the valveis extremely sensitive to the ordinary slight changes. As

' the currentincreases the weight moves farther from the vertical linethrough the axis, and as its lever-arm is thus increased its resistanceincreases to a maximum when it is in'the horizontal plane of the axis.

hat I claim is- 1. The combination with a conduit, of a valve balancedto rock upon a horizontal, transverse axis at some distance below theupper Wall of the conduit andhaving front and rear wings downwardly andoppositely inclined from said axis in position to normally obstruct thespace'between the upper and lower unobstructed branches of theair-'current in the conduit.

2. The combination with a conduit, of a valve rocking upon a horizontal,transverse axis and having-the parts in front and rear of said axisoppositely and downwardly-inclined and normally obstructing thesamestratum of air lying between unobstructed upper and lower strataofmaterial thickness, and a counterweight'secured upon the rear part tooppose gradually-increasing resistance to the increase of theinclination of the front portion.

3. The combination with a conduit, of a valve within the conduit pivotedup on a horizontal, transverse axis normally leaving unobstructedpassage-ways above and below the valve, having a downwardly andforwardly inclined wing adapted to progressively narrow the channelbelow the valve as it swings rearwardly under pressure of entering air,and also having a second wing normally protected by the first from theforce of entering air and arranged-to progressively narrow thechannel-above the valve after the wing. first mentioned has largelydecreased the lower channel.

In: testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificationin-the' presence of two subscribing witnesses:

SOLOMON P. SMITH;

Witnesses:

DANIEL H. SMITH, GEO. A. REYNOLDS.

